The Silverstone Experience, a £20m Heritage Experience dedicated to motorsport, is gearing up for its opening on July 9.
Located at Silverstone in Northamptonshire, UK, the new family attraction aims to ‘engage minds through motorsport’.
The STEM-focused experience takes visitors on an interactive 2.5 hour journey celebrating the past, present and future of British motor racing.
Stories of human endeavour, sporting rivalries and engineering innovation are told using interactive displays and iconic film and imagery.
Sally Reynolds, CEO of the Silverstone Heritage Limited charity, said: “After seven years of hard work we are tremendously excited to announce that we will open the doors of the Silverstone Experience to the public on July 9.”
Part of the $20m project, a Second World War Wellington Bomber Hangar at the entrance to Silverstone Circuit was rescued and refurbished.
A grant of £9.1 million was awarded to the initiative by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Blooloop previously caught up with Sally Reynolds to talk about the Heritage Lottery Fund bid, and the ambitious project it funded.
“It is a perfect time to unveil our family attraction: the Home of British Motor Racing will be buzzing during the build up to the Formula 1 Rolex British Grand Prix 2019 and families will be gearing up for the long summer school holidays,” Reynolds added.
“We can’t wait to see the hangar filled with families and motorsport fans who will be able to climb into a grand prix car, practice their skills as an RAF pilot and sit in the village pub! We know they are going to be bowled over by all the interactive exhibits and thrilled by our surprise immersive end show.”
Key historic exhibits at the Silverstone Experience
- Barry Sheene’s 1979 Suzuki RG500, in which he battled against Kenny Roberts at Silverstone in the 1970s.
- Nigel Mansell’s British Grand Prix-winning Williams FW14B from 1992.
- RB6 Red Bull in which Mark Webber took the chequered flag in the 2010 British GP.
- Maverick Viñales’ podium-placed 2017 Yamaha YZR-M1 MotoGP bike.
Sir Stirling Moss, an early supporter, said: “There is a huge amount of history and heritage to archive and preserve, and to house it all together on display for people to enjoy is a fantastic idea.”
Images: The Silverstone Experience
